Pilot's wife led Vic cash grab: court

Lawyers for a Finnish pilot who admitted carrying almost $900,000 in tainted money say his wealthy wife was the one who arranged to collect the cash while on their honeymoon in Melbourne.

Lauri Metsaranta, 36, has pleaded guilty in the Victorian County Court to one charge of dealing in cash believed to be the proceeds of crime.

He and his wife Changchen Chen, 32, were found to be carrying $899,460 they had picked up from a room in Melbourne's Mantra hotel when they were swooped on by Australian Federal Police on February 1 last year.

During the plea hearing on Thursday, the court heard Metsaranta had told police he and his wife had come to Australia as a "sort of honeymoon".

They checked into Melbourne's Grand Hyatt, then went to Subway for some food before heading to the Mantra where they picked up the money before being arrested, the court heard.

Defence barrister Steve Anger told the court on Thursday Metsaranta was in a "slightly secondary, subsidiary" category to his wife.